Crusader Kings Announced

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The makers of Europa Universalis go medieval.

By Steve Butts

Up until a few years ago, the only meaningful contributions the Swedes had made to my own personal life were limited to the little pancakes they serve at Sears Fine Foods, ABBA and a book by Astrid Lingren which I keep on a bookshelf I bought at IKEA.

But last year I added Airfix Dogfighter and Europa Universalis to the list. And now, hot on the heels of the announcement of a Europa-themed Roman history game, comes Crusader Kings. Crusader Kings takes the model of Europa Universalis and transports it to the era of "templars and dynastic empire-building."

Set between the years of 1066 and 1419, Crusader Kings stretches from Northern Europe to North Africa to Persia. "Honor and power" are at a premium here as players try to carve a nation out of the various provinces around them using religious and political influence as well as military might. As an added incentive, you can take the nation you built in Crusader Kings and import it into Europa Universalis II. The game is due to ship this Fall.